On April 3, 2018, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) temporarily reinstated its recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) as the department conducts a further review of the accrediting body. The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) will continue to monitor the evolving situation and review its impact on stakeholders on a case-by-case basis.

If you are an F or M student currently enrolled at a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school that is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), you need to be in touch with your designated school official (DSO) immediately.  In December of 2016, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced that it no longer recognizes ACICS as an accrediting agency, a decision that impacts some SEVP-certified schools because SEVP only recognizes a school’s accreditation if it is from an accrediting agency recognized by ED.  Therefore, this action could have an impact on your student status.

If you are impacted, SEVP will not take any immediate action on your Student and Exchange Information System (SEVIS) record. Should your school’s SEVP certification to enroll international students be withdrawn, SEVP will provide you a grace period to work with your DSO and make the best decision for your situation. However, in order to understand the time line for this grace period, you must be in contact with your DSO about your school’s SEVP-certification status.

For more information about this grace period and what options you have to comply, please visit ICE.gov’s ACICS Loss of Accreditation Recognition Information page and refer to the “Guidance for Students at ACICS-accredited SEVP-certified Schools and Programs” section.